(I highly recommend making this salad the day before, as it sits and chill the better it tastes)

boil the potatoes the night before, drain them thoroughly, and then chill in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, cut the potatoes into bite size cubes

Cook the macaroni by following package directions, once they are cooked, rinse them with cold water until they are nice and cool. Drain completely. The Macaroni needs to be cooled completely before adding to the salad.

Once you have cubed the potatoes and the macaroni is nice and cool.

Add the rest of the ingredients

Eggs

Carrots

onion

Salt & Pepper

mayonnaise

Mix everything together, really well

Taste salad after you mix everything together. I felt mine was little dry so I added mayonnaise, and added a little more salt & pepper.

(I highly recommend making this salad the day before, as it sits and chill the better it tastes)

boil the potatoes the night before, drain them thoroughly, and then chill in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, cut the potatoes into bite size cubes

Cook the macaroni by following package directions, once they are cooked, rinse them with cold water until they are nice and cool. Drain completely. The Macaroni needs to be cooled completely before adding to the salad.

grab a medium bowl. And add the chopped tomatoes to bowl
add minced garlic
season tomatoes with salt and pepper, to taste
Then add freeze-dried basil
then add Olive oil and balsamic vinegar
and stir everything together
Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium heat and coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil
Slice the Italian bread
Add bread to the skillet and toast, both sides
once bread is toasted (be careful and watch bread, I didn’t watch my closely and I burned it a little)
then add desired about of tomatoes on top

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Get your loaf pans all prepared by greasing them with Crisco and lightly with flour

In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour,

salt,

baking soda,

baking powder

and cinnamon.

Gentley whisk

the dry ingredients together

Now shred the zucchini

and pack it down in your measuring cup, I did heaping cupfuls.

In a bowl, or you can use a stand mixer, mix the eggs,

apple sauce,

oil,

sugar

and vanilla,

together. mix well.

Now slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix all together until fully combined.

Then add in the shredded zucchini to the batter and mix well.

Split the batter between the two Greased loaf pans (I used smaller loaf pans)

Bake the zucchini bread 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in bread. (The bake time vary’s on how much zucchini you added to the batter) (Since I used the smaller loaf pans, I baked mine 30-45 minutes)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Get your loaf pans all prepared by greasing them with Crisco and lightly with flour
In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

Gently whisk the dry ingredients together

Now shred the zucchini and pack it down in your measuring cup, I did heaping cupfuls.

In a bowl, or you can use a stand mixer, mix the eggs, apple sauce, oil, sugar and vanilla, together. mix well.

Now slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix all together until fully combined.

Then add in the shredded zucchini to the batter and mix well.

Split the batter between the two Greased loaf pans (I used smaller loaf pans)

Bake the zucchini bread 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in bread. (The bake time vary’s on how much zucchini you added to the batter) (Since I used the smaller loaf pans, I baked mine 30-45 minutes)

when I do baked potatoes, I just use a Russet potato. I start by washing the potato and then rub olive oil on the outside and sprinkle garlic salt on the skin as well, and then wrap the potato in foil. Bake for about an hour (depending on the size of the potato) When I eat a baked potato I eat the skin as well as the potato. I know some peeps don’t really care for the skin, (I used to not). But now I love it!

once your bacon is cooked and nice and crisp, drain it on some paper towels

Once potato is done baking cut it in half, but not all the way in half, just enough to open the potato. Then add 1 tbsp of butter (or more) Season the inside of the potato with salt & pepper then add the cheese and top with bacon

I also add sour cream (LOTS) I took a picture of a normal amount that normal people would add. Then when it’s time to eat the potato I add even more!. It’s crazy how much sour cream I love on my potato…

(you could also add chives or green onions)

So there you have it, The perfect way to have a baked potato. Well the perfect way **I**like to have a baked potato…

Normy and I had us a BBQ to go too this summer, and our friends said it was a Mexican food theme kind of BBQ. So I went online and searched and found this recipe from one of my favorite bloggers….The Pioneer woman (of course).

I added a few extra’s (of course) to make it my own!

FOR THE SALAD:
1 pound/box Elbow Macaroni, Cooked To Package Instructions, Drained, And Rinsed With Cold Water

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined.
Place the macaroni, corn, beans,
olives, tomatoes, green onions, red onion,
I also added jalapenos to mine and added them at this point, and cilantro, and green chilies (if using)
add everything in a large bowl.
Then add the dressing
and gently toss until all the ingredients are coated. Then I added some hot sauce for a little extra kick
Then gently toss everything together and make sure everything is all tossed together well

I had a total of 8 pieces so instead of searing the meat in batches, I seared them in two pans (or you can do them in batches).

Sear the beef chunks on all sides until nice and browned.

Once the beef is seared then transfer it to slow cooker.

In a medium bowl combine chopped chipotles, garlic,

cumin,

oregano,

cloves,

beef broth,

vinegar, lime juice,

and salt and pepper (to taste).

Mix well,

then pour over beef in the slow cooker

and add bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat shreds easily.

Once meat has cooked 8-10 hours, remove bay leaves, and remove the meat and shred the beef. Then return the beef back to the slow cooker and let the meat marinade for 10-15 minutes, or until you are ready to serve.

Got this recipe/idea from my friend Stacey’s step mom. I was informed by my two Cajun friends Stacey & Lori that when you make gumbo, you have to serve it with mustard potato salad. So I got the recipe via text from Stacey of what her step mom puts in hers and added and adjusted a few things to make it my own (of course). So you can do this with gumbo, or just by itself. It’s good either way!

So I started by boiling 6 eggs for about 15 minutes

once the eggs are boiled, I drained them and then placed them in a bowl and submerge the eggs in cold water and placed them in the fridge until I was ready to peel them

Then I peeled 5 red potatoes and rinsed them

Then I cut them into bit size chunks

then I placed them in a pot and filled it with water and brought the water to a boil and boiled the potatoes (for about 15-20 minutes) until they were firm, but not hard, and not mushy.

Then I drained them

Then I grabbed a large bowl and placed the drained potatoes in the bowl

Then I grabbed the eggs I boiled before

peels them and then chopped them up

then added them to the bowl with the potatoes

Now chop up 1/2 a red onion, small dice

add to the bowl with the potatoes and eggs

Now I have done this recipe before with sweet pickles, but I LOVE dill pickles so this time I did it with dill pickles

First I added about 3/4-1 Cup of Miracle Whip (I knew this recipe was good because the recipe called for Miracle whip, I know most people like their potato salad with Mayonnaise, My mom, and grandma always made their potato salad with miracle whip, and that how I make mine and like it)

Now add the mustard (about a tbsp)

Now add the pepper, I added a lot. As I LOVE pepper. I didn’t measure but if I were to guess I would say about 1 tsp

Then add in the Cajun/Creole seasoning and I did about 1/2 tsp each

Stir everything together and add 1/8 a tsp of salt. I did very little because the Cajun/Creole seasonings are pretty salty. Taste the salad for the seasonings and add more if needed.

So my mom would also sprinkle paprika over her potato salad when it was all done, so I decided to do the same so I went with smoked paprika to add a little extra flavor
So cover the salad and put it in the fridge and let it chill for a couple hours. Then serve either with gumbo or with whatever you want! Either way its yummy!

Here’s the recipe:

6 eggs, boiled
5 red potatoes, peeled and boiled

start by boiling 6 eggs for about 15 minutes

once the eggs are boiled, drain them and then place them in a bowl and submerge the eggs in cold water and place them in the fridge until ready to peel them

peel 5 red potatoes and rinse them, cut them into bit size chunks
place them in a pot filled with water and bring the water to a boil and boil the potatoes (for about 15-20 minutes) until they were firm, but not hard, and not mushy.
Then drain them
Grab a large bowl and place the drained potatoes in the bowl

peel eggs and chop them up
then add them to the bowl with the potatoes
Now chop up 1/2 a red onion, small dice

add to the bowl with the potatoes and eggs

add a little pickle juice (about a tbsp)

I used 3 stacker pickles and chopped them small
Then add them to the boil with the potatoes, eggs and onion

place chicken breasts in a bowl
then grab another medium bowl and add the

mustard
Lemon juice
Garlic
paprika
salt
honey
Red pepper flakes

Whisk everything together

Reserve 1/4 cup of the honey mustard mixture
set aside and use for later
pour the rest of the honey mustard mixture over top of the chicken
Toss and cover the bowl and let it sit for about 30 minutes at room temp.
grill chicken for about 6 to 8 minutes per side or until chicken is done.

Remove the chicken and let rest for 5 minutes.
Pour the reserved honey mustard sauce over chicken and eat!

Place half the vegetables, herbs and spices in the bottom of the bowl.

Rub the meat with salt & pepper and place it over the vegetables.

Spread the rest of the vegetables and herbs over the meat. Pour the wine,

brandy

and olive oil over the meat.

Cover and marinade for at least 6 hours (or up too 12-24 hours). Turn and baste the meat every hour or so. (I marinated mine over night)

Half an hour before cooking, drain the meat on a rack.

Just before browning, dry it thoroughly with paper towels. It will not brown if it is damp.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

you will need a dutch oven or oven proof pan that is big enough to hold the meat and braising ingredients

add cooking oil such as vegetable oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer to the dutch oven and place over moderately high heat. When the oil is to the point of smoking, add the meat and brown on all sides.

This takes about 15 minutes.

pour out the excess oil/fat
Pour in the wine marinade and boil it down until it has reduced by half.

the recipe they suggest adding in veal knuckles, calf’s feet, and rind. So I added in a ham hock

then pour in enough stock or bouillon to come 2/3 of the way up the beef. (4-6 cups beef stock or beef bouillon) Bring to a simmer on stove, skim fat, cover with lid and place in preheated oven. Simmer in oven for about 3 hours, turning the meat several times during the cooking process. The meat is done when you can pierce it easily with a fork.

Then while the meat is cooking start your Brown-braised onions – (oignons glaces a brun)

When the butter and oil are bubbling in pan, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10-12 minutes, rolling onions around in pan (without breaking them) brown evenly on all sides as much as possible, pour in liquid, season with salt & pepper. add in the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 45-50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the herb bouquet. Set aside

When the meat is tender, remove it from the oven and pan and place on a plate/platter, let it rest for about 15 minutes and then cut up into bite size pieces, set aside

for the sauce/gravy, skim the fat off the braising juices, throw the bay leaves away. then I grabbed my handy dandy hand blender and blended everything together, onions, carrots, celery. Then I took a small measuring cup and added in about 2 tbsp or corn starch with a little liquid from the sauce and mixed it together and then added it back to the sauce in pan to make a gravy. Let the gravy simmer for 10 minutes, until it thickens and if you like it thicker add corn starch to a measuring cup with a little sauce/gravy and mix together and add back to pan until its thickened to your liking. Once its as thick as you like it, Then add the meat to gravy and add onions and mix everything together.

I served the meat and onions with mashed potatoes. Place desired amount of potatoes on a plate and then add meat and onion and then spoon gravy over the top.

Place half the vegetables, herbs and spices in the bottom of the bowl.
Rub the meat with salt & pepper and place it over the vegetables.
Spread the rest of the vegetables and herbs over the meat. Pour the wine,
brandy
and olive oil over the meat.
Cover and marinade for at least 6 hours (or up too 12-24 hours). Turn and baste the meat every hour or so. (I marinated mine over night)
Half an hour before cooking, drain the meat on a rack.
Just before browning, dry it thoroughly with paper towels. It will not brown if it is damp.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
you will need a dutch oven or oven proof pan that is big enough to hold the meat and braising ingredients
add cooking oil such as vegetable oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer to the dutch oven and place over moderately high heat. When the oil is to the point of smoking, add the meat and brown on all sides.
This takes about 15 minutes.

pour out the excess oil/fat
Pour in the wine marinade and boil it down until it has reduced by half.

the recipe they suggest adding in veal knuckles, calf’s feet, and rind. So I added in a ham hock
then pour in enough stock or bouillon to come 2/3 of the way up the beef. (4-6 cups beef stock or beef bouillon) Bring to a simmer on stove, skim fat, cover with lid and place in preheated oven. Simmer in oven for about 3 hours, turning the meat several times during the cooking process. The meat is done when you can pierce it easily with a fork.

Then while the meat is cooking start your Brown-braised onions – (oignons glaces a brun)

When the butter and oil are bubbling in pan, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about 10-12 minutes, rolling onions around in pan (without breaking them) brown evenly on all sides as much as possible, pour in liquid, season with salt & pepper. add in the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 45-50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the herb bouquet. Set aside
When the meat is tender, remove it from the oven and pan and place on a plate/platter, let it rest for about 15 minutes and then cut up into bite size pieces, set aside
for the sauce/gravy, skim the fat off the braising juices, throw the bay leaves away. then I grabbed my handy dandy hand blender and blended everything together, onions, carrots, celery. Then I took a small measuring cup and added in about 2 tbsp or corn starch with a little liquid from the sauce and mixed it together and then added it back to the sauce in pan to make a gravy. Let the gravy simmer for 10 minutes, until it thickens and if you like it thicker add corn starch to a measuring cup with a little sauce/gravy and mix together and add back to pan until its thickened to your liking. Once its as thick as you like it, Then add the meat to gravy and add onions and mix everything together.

I served the meat and onions with mashed potatoes. Place desired amount of potatoes on a plate and then add meat and onion and then spoon gravy over the top.

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Hey there everyone, my name is Jamie! I first got the name crazy Jamie from my mother in law, who would call me crazy Nena, which means Crazy woman in Spanish. Then my friend Stacey, her kids would call me Crazy Jamie from the crazy, goofy things I would do with them! So here I am Crazy Jamie! I am 39 years young and LOVE all things Food! From cooking it, to looking for new recipes, to taking pictures of it, to talking about it, oh and (of course) eating it!! I did the whole culinary school thing. When I was in culinary school, I discovered that I liked cooking more than baking, the one class I didn’t like was bake shop…I thought baking was hard and it had to be exact and to me it was a lot of work….and now I am going on 3 years of baking at a cupcakes shop. Head baker! Funny how things work out. Now I think I like baking more than I like cooking! I have been married to my hubby Normando for 9 years. We got married on 8-8-08. We have our little kitty Olive that we adore! She’s our 4 legged kid! We live in Denver, Colorado! I have lived in Colorado my whole life and don’t ever want to move! I love the mountains and hiking and riding my bike! I love cooking for friends and family and love making birthday cakes, or cupcakes for friends and family. I love looking on Pinterest and trying new ingredients! I am always looking for new recipes! So I became obsessed with taking pictures of the food I would make and I wanted to share what I was making with the world. So I created this blog! I am not the best writer or speller so beware if you are a grammar person! This chic SUCKS at grammar! But I love sharing what I cook with the world! I also love sharing recipes with people as well. So this is me, welcome to my world!